By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
Here’s a nice way to celebrate the last day of school before Christmas Break: A basketball win.
Hamilton Southeastern finished up its first semester on Wednesday, and the Royals were out of the classroom and on to the court that night to play old rival Pendleton Heights. Southeastern, now ranked No. 2 in the Class 4A Associated Press rankings, used a series of runs to build, maintain, and eventually beat the Arabians 61-46.
The Royals are now 7-0 for the season, their best start since the 2013-14 school year.
“The thing I’m probably most proud of is the way we played defense tonight,” said HSE coach Brian Satterfield. “They are so efficient with what they do and how they run their offense. I was a little worried with us trying to prepare on a short week, and with finals going on, we didn’t quite go as long as we normally do. But our guys had focus this week in practice and I thought that carried over in the game tonight.”
The Arabians scored the first basket of the game on a 3-pointer, but the Royals answered that with a 9-0 run. Mabor Majak scored four points on two nice-looking baskets – the first on an elegant hook shot, the second an immediate tipback of one of his own shots.
After that initial run, Southeastern went through the game unbothered for the most part. The Royals made at least one big run in each period to extend their lead. In the second quarter, HSE scored eight unanswered points.
Aaron Etherington started the run with a free throw, then made a 3-pointer. Nick Bowman followed that with a dunk, and Etherington capped the run with a dunk – not the only one the Royals would make on Wednesday.
Southeastern made its biggest run in the third quarter, pouring in 13 straight points. Majak started things with a putback, then the Royals threw in three straight 3-pointers. Bowman drained the first two 3s, then Chris Grubbs made the third downtown shot. Grubbs, who was starting in place of Noah Smith (out in a precautionary measure), then finished the run with a jump shot. That gave HSE a 42-20 lead, the largest advantage of the game.
“With Noah not being here, you just didn’t know how the guys would respond,” said Satterfield. The coach said that his players jumping into different roles was huge, especially Grubbs getting his chance in the starting lineup.
“He had a tremendous night tonight as well,” said Satterfield.
Pendleton did make things interesting in the fourth quarter, going on an 8-0 run to trim Southeastern’s 50-29 lead to 50-37. Luke Drye hit a 3, then Eli Pancol added five points on a dunk and a 3-pointer.
But the momentum switched in a flash. The Arabians missed a 3, the Royals grabbed the rebound, and the ball got in the hands of Bowman, who dunked it. Grubbs then made a traditional three-point play to get HSE ahead 55-37.
Pancol threw in a 3-pointer to cut the Royals’ lead to 55-40, but Southeastern answered with six straight points. Chaz Birchfield made a layin, then Etherington scored four more points, on two free throws and a second slam dunk.
Etherington finished the game with 19 points, while Bowman totaled three 3-pointers on his way to 13 points. Grubbs added 12 points.
Birchfield made his presence known on the boards with eight rebounds, followed by Majak with six and Etherington with five. Etherington also handed out six assists, with Birchfield dishing out four. Majak blocked two shots.
Southeastern is off for a week, then will play at the Columbia City/Huntington Holiday Hoops Tournament on Dec. 28 and 29. The Royals play two pool games on Dec. 28, against Norwell at 10 a.m. and Scecina at 6 p.m. Both games will take place at Huntington North.
Hamilton Southeastern’s Aaron Etherington makes a slam dunk during the Royals’ Wednesday victory over Pendleton Heights. (Kirk Green)